adminThe defending champions in both Spain and Europe lost to Real Madrid 2-1 on Saturday and now trail their biggest rivals by seven points with four games to go. Last week, the Catalan team lost at Chelsea 1-0 in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals.
It was first back-to-back loss in almost three years.
“This isn’t a delicate moment, it’s a promising one,” Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez said. “We have in our hands the chance to make it a great season. We are competitive, but this team has stood out for knowing how to deal with losing. We accept losses and move on.”
Chelsea is unbeaten in its last six meetings with Barcelona, and the English team will likely keep to its defensive tactics in an attempt to stop Lionel Messi from influencing the match.
“I think we’ll require a game similar to the home leg,” Chelsea defender Gary Cahill said after his team’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal on Saturday. “A little element of luck, defensively as a whole unit everyone sticking to their task, and the same concentration level.”
Messi was bottled up by both Chelsea and Madrid to remain scoreless in his last two outings, and when he did manage to set up his teammates, they failed to finish.
Against Madrid, the three-time world player of the year didn’t even manage a shot on goal, something almost unimaginable for the club’s all-time leading scorer who already has 63 goals this season.
While Barcelona generated more than enough chances against Chelsea to draw or even win their first game, it was uncharacteristically sluggish and predictable against Madrid with playmakers Andres Iniesta and Xavi not their usual sharp selves.
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola can count on Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique to be fresh after neither played a minute against Madrid.
Pique, who didn’t appear in the first leg in London, either, could play a critical role by starting Barcelona’s attack with his long passing from the back.
Interim Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo defended his strategy of using two tight defensive lines.
“You know how many players, how many teams and managers have tried with different tactics to play against Barcelona?” Di Matteo asked. “They will always create chances, whatever you do, because of the sheer quality that they have in the team, the individual quality between the players.
“They’ve got top players, more than one of the best players in the world in their team.”
Chelsea arrives in better physical form after resting most of its starters over the weekend. Striker Didier Drogba, who scored from Chelsea’s only shot on goal in the first leg, is the team’s only major doubt as he tries to recover from a knee injury.
Barcelona knows that it must not to concede another goal on its home ground if it hopes of making its third Champions League final in four years.
“We have the Champions League within our grasp and we can reach another final,” Barcelona captain Carles Puyol said. “We have to be very careful on their counter-attacks and set pieces.”
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich will play to win at Real Madrid despite seven players being under threat of suspension for the final should the German club advance, striker Mario Gomez promised on yesterday.
Gomez says his teammates will not hold back although some of them may miss the final in their own stadium if they pick up another booking. Bayern holds a 2-1 advantage ahead of Wednesday’s return leg in Madrid.
“The yellow cards should not play a role, everyone will give his best,” the Germany striker said. “We don’t play to draw, that’s not our thing. If we play like we did at home, we’ll make it. We have a team that can win.”
Seven Bayern players have yellow cards and another booking would rule them out of the final.
They are defenders Philipp Lahm, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba, as well as midfielders Toni Kroos, Luiz Gustavo and Thomas Mueller.
Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes said he was not concerned about the cards.
“We already had five players with yellow cards before the first leg and we saw that they can deal with it,” Heynckes said. “It’s a matter of being careful, that you are absolutely concentrated on the match. It shouldn’t play any role. We must not hold back.”
Bayern is seeking to become the first team to play the Champions League final in its own stadium. Barcelona and Chelsea contest the other semifinal, with Chelsea holding a 1-0 lead. The final is 19May at the Allianz Arena. “We have to call up on all resources,” Heynckes said about Wednesday’s match. “Then we have a great chance of reaching the final. We know we have to score one or two goals. And we can do it, we have excellent forwards.
The final will be on `19 May .
Fixtures
Today: Barcelona vs Chelsea (8.45pm).
Tomorrow: Real Madrid vs Bayern Munich (8.45pm). — Sapa-AP.
Online Reporter